Chapter Text
To say, Parrot had put Paragon, The director, Wifies in the back of his mind. The moment he had settled back into the lull of Unstable Smp, millions of blocks away from the prison made by the director. (His friend. Best friend. The one person who he had- could rely on)
He put the entire thing behind him.
Anything that was related to him. Parrot pushed to keep the memories from flooding back, like a dam that cracked with the pressure from the typhoon that spawned. Constantly trying to seep through the crevices and burst through till it was nothing but messy and complicated.
Was it healthy? No, but Parrot couldn’t care.
He was given a chance to start anew. A rare opportunity in an anarchy server, and he took it. He found friends, and a purpose.
Help the server, give rather than take.
He couldn’t have done any of it without his friend, Theo. Who he knew from the farlands civilization. Along with the shared shop they owned in capital city, officially their home.
To which is where they were now.
Discussing the next step, as a player- DragonMC had stumbled Inside their potion shop. Looking quite joyful as he eagerly showed the two avians a compass.
It held a way to the great sea, to where it was told there was riches deep in the vast waters. A key opportunity to help the server.
“So first we need gear,” Parrot hummed. His wings held tight behind his back.
Theo nodded, scrunching his nose to adjust his shades higher on his nose bridge. They were pushing pots into their inventories, counting stacks of food and spare arrows.
“Hmm yeah, lemme just get my shulker prepped” The cockatiel chirped, opening a chest as he unceremoniously dumped an entire month's worth of strength and speed pots into his shulker.
Parrot rolled his eyes at the action, playfully of course. “Theo bro, we’re going to go bankrupt if you use the whole stock of potions”
Theo complained that if they gets jumped, then he’ll need all these pots. Parrot only laughed and got the two of them out into the city to trade.
Then after getting everything they needed, the two avians headed out with their ghast- Sky.
She chirped cheerfully as Parrot surfed the azure skies. The land below not yet rendered in for him. Theo preened his wings silently, his shades propped up against his blonde hair.
Then after a few minutes of that, his back fell onto the harness with an audible ‘plop’.
“I’m bored” he’d say.
Parrot hummed. “You’ll be fine Theo, plus I’m gonna go down to see if we’re any closer now”
And what they found was insane. Water surrounded them endlessly. When had they entered the great sea? Parrot’s eyes widened as Theo gawked in complete surprise. Muttered a “we must’ve been in it for a while”.
Parrot held his compass tight, watching the needle spin towards the lodestone. Eventually it pointed to an island, jungle trees surrounded.. well everything.
After a bit of digging around the lodestone. The two avians agreed to explore the island a bit more.
Parrot kept his eye out, talons turning over large rocks and huge leaves. But nothing was found, and Theo shook his head as he came back.
“Nothing?”
Theo sighed, dragging a talon across his face. “Yah, nuthin”
Parrot felt a pang of disappointment. It’s fine, he thought. Like the last treasure hunt, it wasn’t easy to find so it’s clear that finding this treasure would be challenging as well. “No matter, perhaps there’s other islands around”
Theo nodded.
But before any of them could travel to the next island- Parrot’s foot stepped onto a pressure plate. His eyes blown wide as his arms immediately shielded his face- expecting tnt to blow beneath him.
Wifies was blown up by ParrotX2
But nothing. Not even the fizz sound that indicated the looming of tnt. Theo had splashed turtle master onto him, something Parrot hadn’t realized. His limbs felt heavy, mind numbing slightly from the effects.
“Wha-?” Theo murmured.
Parrot forced his body to relax. The particles dispersing as the turtle master wore off. Wings tight against his back as he lifted his foot off the pressure plate. “Just a prank probably, I wouldn’t-“
Pistons went off. A few clicks later as the ground opened a few feet away. Silence fell onto the two, and they exchanged weary glances.
Is this part of the treasure hunt? Parrot glanced over to Theo.
The cockatiel shrugged, wincing. Not sure bro.
That’s what Parrot assumed he would’ve said. If this was part of the hunt, then Parrot has no choice but to enter. Biting the inside of his cheek. He urged his feet forward to enter the dim lighting of the mysterious hole.
Polished deepslate staircase and dark oak walls greeted him. Theo blinked and began to follow Parrot.
“This is sketchy, why would they put the treasure here? And why is it so intact here?” Theo asked. Sword clutched tightly in his grasp.
Parrot shrugged. His own senses on high alert. “No idea, but if there’s a clue here, then it’ll be worth it”
They descended down, and down, and it seemed a while until they met even ground again. A hallway that connected to a dark room was what Parrot saw. Even with his enhanced eyes- he found it hard to see what was in the mysterious room.
“Do you have torches?”
Theo checked his inventory and nodded. Using a flint and steel to enlight the hallway. Parrot raised a brow, as he asked for torches but he supposed it worked.
Continuing forward they reached the room. Parrot squinted hard, seeing outlines of tables and bookcases. Then, Theo lit the room up. Medical tables, boards with nonsense writing and scribbled notes.
“What in the server?” Parrot hissed, brow cinching as his talons encircled a book with the lettering ‘attempt clone #1’.
The flame from the flint and steel died out, and Theo lit it up again. It cackled quietly in the background as Parrot made rounds around the room in morbid curiosity. The flames lighting his face in orange- shadows highlighting his features.
Theo read the board, or tried to. “What is all this stuff? Clown project 1?” he asked out loud, talon clicking against the whiteboard in thought.
“Clones, Theo. Whoever put this here clearly didn’t make it for the great sea treasure. Perhaps this is a research lab?”
Parrot narrowed his dark eyes. Clones.. like making carbon copies of people? Is the person behind this ‘clone project’ intending to create.. something evil? Or perhaps it’s a personal project that’ll leave people out of this.
Either way, this lab is taken care of. There’s barely any dust and everything seemed.. polished. Untouched by nature.
The fire went out again.
It was dark, shadows casting everything into mystery. Parrot looked around with a wary glance, feathers bristling against his wings. Something was wrong. Theo cursed as Parrot heard the clatter of something dropping.
There, footsteps emerged suddenly, and the figure that had came into the light was a player that Parrot thought was gone. And Parrot couldn’t tell if he should feel joy, or despair.
“Hello Parrot” Wifies smiled, easy like he hasn’t been dead for a year.
The flint and steel clicked. The room cast into oranges and reds.
His face was blank, almost devoid of any human emotion. Despite this, he looked the exact same as before. Like a carbon copy of his ex best friend.
The same wavy brown hair, pale skin that turned white when his knuckles flexed, and even his mix matched colored eyes.
Ones that used to reflect his dark ones. Now they looked at him with nothing. Wifies smiled though. A thin line curving upwards.
Parrot inhaled sharply, taking several steps back until his back hit the metal table. When did his breathing quicken? Why is his chest curling in despair?
His Wifies, not this- this thing, had the sweetest smile. One that was small, yet meant so much. It was serene, gentle and genuine.
Atleast, that is what Parrot remembered.
“Parrot?” It would ask again.
Even its voice mimicked Wifies. The same low monotone that always eased out solutions to puzzles, reminded Parrot to rest- to stop putting pressure on himself.
Theo looked between the two uneasily, his whole body tense and ready to strike at any given moment. It made sense. Parrot had frozen the moment ‘Wifies’ stepped into the light. His breath hitching as something wet choked out of his throat.
Eyes stinging with prickling tears. Feathers bristling.
Theo put himself between them. Sword pointed towards the, quite frankly, weak and unprotected ‘Wifies’.
“Are you ok Parrot?” He asked.
The avian didn’t respond. Seemingly lost in his own hectic mind.
Because it all came down to this:
Wifies was dead.
Wifies was blown up by ParrotX2
He’s dead
Once his mind had finally sorted out the obvious points. Found a plausible explanation for why this thing had appeared in front of him- pretending to be a ghost of a player who will never be mentioned ever again.
Let alone his name uttered by anyone.
Parrot lunged forward with such fervour, wings flaring out to their full length. Successfully increasing his size and threat level in a feeble attempt of scaring this thing.
His claws met the shoulders of ‘Wifies’, who’s eyes widened in alarm. Black and white met the dwelling dark as Parrot pushed him to the ground. It yelped, gawking out a ‘Parrot wait!-“
His diamond sword positioned merely inches away from its throat.
Theo gasped from behind him. Never seeing the avian act like this before.
“What are you, Who are you!? You aren’t Wifies!” He hissed. Pressing the blade forward till it met the pale skin, he didn’t allow it to cut its skin though.
For why he didn’t , he doesn’t want to talk about it.
‘Wifies’ looked up at him, mouth parted and irises scanning the hybrid above him. Gaze flicking to the sword that could very easily kill him. It seemed pitying, brows furrowed in concern.
After what seemed to be an eternity, it spoke: “You’re crying, Parrot”
And it was right.
Tears rolled down his cheeks like a traitor. Dripping from his chin to Wifies's chest. The fabric of his jumper absorbed it, leaving dark specks.
The avian’s breath stilled, blinking several times as he eased his hold to shakily swipe at his eyes.
They kept coming though unwarranted. Trailing down till there were several dark splotches situated across Wifies jumper. It was embarrassing.
Why is he feeling like this?
‘Wifies’ reached over to hesitantly push the blade away, brow furrowed with a deep line on his lips.
“Hey, hey don’t cry”
That somehow made it worse. His grip on the sword slackened, forgotten as he squeezed his eyes shut. His wings bristled softly against his back.
A hand wiped away his tears, warm against his cheeks. Parrot didn’t pull away. He wanted to, but his body told otherwise. They spent the next few minutes just like this. Him quietly trying to not sob, while.. while- Wifies hushed out ‘oks’ and ‘breathe’ to him.
Wiping tears away casually. Brows upturned in genuine concern.
This can’t be Wifies.
His pale hands (they’re gentle, Parrot thinks) moved to his shoulders, getting him to sit up. The avian complied easily, mind eerily numb for some reason.
Well, if he thinks about it. Maybe his mind is so, so frozen in stillness because the person (thing?) infront of him was someone he accepted as dead.
He was ready to forget. But with ‘Wifies’ infront of him, eyes scanning his face as he continues to say something to him. Only to realize that Parrot isn’t listening.
His mind was going crazy. He can’t be hallucinating, right? Not again?
“Parrot! Do you hear me, are you listening to a word I’m saying?” His monotone voice finally snapped him out of his spiral.
Theo, who finally moved from his position, jumped forward to comfort Parrot. His clawed hand settling on his shoulder slowly, shades hiding his eyes. “Dude, what is going on?”
Parrot, for some odd reason, didn’t respond to either. Instead he had hunched forward. His mouth opening as he vomited out the contents of his stomach.
His two friends watched in shocked silence.
One question lingered in his mind.
How?